1 dead in Vancouver plane crash

VANCOUVER, Wash. — One person died and another was critically injured when a home-built airplane crashed at Pearson Field in Vancouver.

The Columbian newspaper reported that the crash happened just after 4 p.m. Wednesday. Witnesses said the aircraft seemed to have mechanical problems shortly after takeoff and it crashed in a grassy area between the runway and Fort Vancouver.

The airplane is a Kitfox IV, a fixed-wing single engine plane built in 1996. A source at Pearson Field told The Columbian that the pilot is skilled and experienced.